Printing-press.



G. E. PANCOAST.

PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.15, 1900. RENEWED MAR. 27, 190B.

Patented D60. 14, .1909.

2 snnms snnn'r 1.

ATTORNEYS G. E. PANCOAST.

PRINTING PRESS. APPLICATION I'ILBD NOV.15, 1900. RENEWED MAR. 27, 1908.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/NVENTOR By W A TTOHNE) 3 UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

GEORGE E. PANCOAST, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN LITHU- GRAPHIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

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Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

\ Application filed November 15, 1900, Serial No. 36,604. Renewed March 27, 1908. Serial No. 423,550.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. PANCOAST, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing- Presses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to printing presses and particularly to multicolonplanographic presses of the rotary type. As presses of the type referred to have been constructed heretofore it is difficult to maintain a perfect rolling contact between the print-ing and impression surfaces. Toaccomplish this it is not only necessary that the gearing, which is universally provided in some form between the members of the printing couple,

be perfect in construction but the printing.

and impression surfaces must exactly coincide with the pitch lines of the gearing. If this coincidence is once secured it is destroyed by any'change in the condition of the parts, as, for instance, any change in the thickness of the impression blanket or in the diameter of a form or in the distance between the members of the printing couple. When the printing and impression surfaces do not coincide with the pitch lines of the gearing there is a continual slipping between the contacting surfaces which is not only detrimental to good printing but is very destructive of the surfaces themselves. In planographic or lithographic presses especially any slipping between the printing and impression surfaces will soon cause the printing surfaces to take ink on the nonprinting or water-carrying parts of the surface, or to tint as it is termed in the art.

The object of my invention is to secure a perfect rolling contact between the printing and impression members of presses of the type referred to and nevertheless to rovide a press which is practically capable 0 all the operations necessary or desirable in getting ready to print and in printing and especially in kmulticolor planographie printing on the we WVith this general object in view the minor objects of my invention are to provide a printing press in which the printing and impression members are driven by frictional contact one from another during the printing operation but are driven independently of each other when separated; also, to provide in such a machine a construction whereby when the members of the printing couple are separated and brought together, the frictional y driven member is automatically connected to and disconnected from its independent driving mechanism; also, to provide in a machine having a plurality of printing surfaces which may be simultaneously moved into and out of contact with the impression member, a construction whereby the printing surfaces are caused to operate in unison whether in or out of contact with the impression member; also to'provide a construction whereby the supports for the printirfg surfaces may be moved toward or from the impression mechanism to accommodate printing surfaces of different dimensions without disconnecting the support from each other; and to otherwise improve and render more practicalthe type of printing press specified. Y

My invention consists in the novel improvements, parts and combinations of parts herein described.

The accompanying drawings, which are referred to herein and form a part hereof, illustrate a rotary multicolor planographic press constructed in accordance with my invention and serve in connection with the description herein to explain the principles of my invention and the best mode contemplated by me of applying those principles.

Referring to the drawlngs, Figure 1 represents a sectional side elevation taken on the line A, B of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. l is a sectional detailed view; Fig. 2 is a transverse central section of the same, taken on the line ,CD Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of that side of the machine located at the left in Fig. 2.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts.

of the side frames 5 and 6 respectively. In

the present embodiment of my invention, the impression drum 1 is driven from a shaft 7, to which power is applied by any suitable motor, through a train of gears 8, 9 and 10,

the last member 10 of which meshes with a changeably mounted upon the form-sup ports. Each of the form-supports 12 is rovided with a suitable shaft 14, whic is journaled at its opposite ends in suitable sliding boxes 15 mounted in the radial slide-' ways 16 in the frames 5 and 6.

In order that the printing forms 13 may be moved into and out of contact with thedmpression drum 1, as is required in printing, the boxes are secured to radially arranged sliding pressure bars 17 mounted in suitable guide-Ways 18 on the outside of the frames 5 and 6. At their inner ends the bars 17 are provided with stud rollers 19 which are engaged by a plurality 'of cam grooves, seen in dotted lines at 20 in Fig. 3. The cam grooves 20 are formed in a pair of annular cam plates 21, which are carried by, and are rigidly secured to a pair'of disks 22 suitably journaled on the outer ends of the bearings 3 and 4. Each of the disks 22 is provided with a gear segment 23, which 'gear segments are adapted to mesh with a pair of "pinions 24 which are mounted on suitable studs at opposite sides of the machine and are driven by a pair of pinions 25 secured at the opposite ends of a transverse shaft 26 suitably journaled in the side frames 5 and 6. The shaft 26 may be operated to move the printing forms into or out of contact with the impression drum, as desired, by any suitable means, such as the controllin engine shown in either of the patents granted to Edward Hett, November 21, 1899, Nos. 637568; 637569; 637570 and 637571. N r A For the purpose of accommodating printing forms and printing form-supports of different sizes, the pressure bars 17 are threaded at their outer ends and are passed through perforations in the laterally extending lugs 27 of the boxes 15. The threaded ends of the bars 17 are provided with suitable nuts 28, 29, which embrace the opposite ,sides of lugs 27 and b the adjustment of which the position of t e boxes radially of the machine may be varied, as desired.

In order to secure perfect register of the designs carried by the printing forms 13,

it is. essential that the form cylinders .be positively driven in unison with each other. This is accomplished in the machine shown as follows: Each shaft 14 is provided with a gear 30 which is rigidly secured thereto. The gears .30 are each connected through intermediate gears '32 to a centrally located master gear 31 suitably journaled on the inner end of the bearing 4. In order to permit the necessary movement of the shafts 14 radially of the machine without interrupting their connection with the master gear 31, the intermediate gears 32 mustbe so mounted that their centers always remain the same distance from the centers of the shafts 14 and the axis of the gear 31 irrespective of the position of the shafts 14 with relation to the center of the machine. This is accomplished by mounting the gears 32 to one side of the lines betwen the centers of the shafts 14 and the axis of the-master gear 31 and connecting the axes of the gears 32 with the shafts 14 and with the center of the gear 31 by independent rigid connecting means. In the construction shown, the short shafts 33 of the gears 32 are connected with the shafts 14 by the links 34, there being, preferably, two links 34 for each gear 32, one on each side thereof, as shown in Fig. 2. The shafts 33 of the gears 32 obviously could be connected with the center of the gear 31 by links similar to the links 34, but preferably and as shown, the ends of the shafts 33 are provided with suitable boxes 35 which are adapted to slide in the circumferentially arranged slideways 36 formed at the ends of the arms 37, which arms are carried by hubs 38 rigidly secured to the bearing 4 concentrically with the gear 31. A set of boxes 35, slideways 36, arms 37 and hubs 38 are provided on each side of the gears 31 and 32, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. By this construction it will be seen that the printing cylinders will be driven by the impression drum when in contact therewith, but they will nevertheless be driven in perfect unison with each other irrespective of any slight variations in the sizes thereof, and also that the shafts 14 may be moved to and from the center of the machine, not only as required in the ordinary operation of the machine but also to accommodate printing cylinders of different diameters or degrees of curvature, without disconnecting the printing 0 linders fromeach other.

It is desirable to drive the printing cylinders when they are out of contact-with the impression drum, and it is desirable also that the printing surfaces be driven at very nearly the same surface speed as the impression drum, in order that there will be a minimum amount of slipping between the printing and impression surfaces when they are brought into contact. This is accomplished as follows: The'gear lOis mounted on a shaft 40 journaled in the side frames 5 and 6 andat'the opposite side of themachine from the gear 10,", the shaft 40 is provided with a gear 41, which drives the gear mechanisms and 31 through an, intermediate gear 42 mounted on a suitable stud 43 carried by the side frame 6. The gear 41 is loosely mountedon the shaft 40 and is providedwith a suitable clutch connection which will compelthe gear 41 to revolve wit-h'the shaft 40 but will permit it to rotate thereon in the'same direction at a faster speed. The clutch connection shown consists of a small cylindrical friction pawl 44 mounted-in a suitable recess in the gear and held in operative positionby a spring 45 as indicated in Fig. 1.

The gears 10 and 41, as shown, are'of the same pitch diameter, so that when the gear 41 is driven by the shaft 40 it hasthe same surface speed as'the gear 10, which speed is conveyed through the gears 42, 31 and 32 to the gears 30 on the shafts 14. The gears 30,

however, are slightly larger in pitch diameter-than the largest form which is to beused in the machine, and preferably also, the gear 11 is slightly less in pitchdi'ameter than the drum 1. It follows, therefore, that the surface speed of the printing forms will be slightly -lessthan the surface speed ofthe impression drum when the printing-forms are not in contact therewith, but When said parts arebrouglit into contact they are permitted to move at the same speedby reason of the described connection between the gear 41 and the shaft '40. It willbe seen that the shaft 40 and the gearingbetween it and the shafts 14 constitute mechanism for driving the printing forms independently ofthe impression surface andthat the clutch'between the shaft.40 and the gear 41 constitutes automatic means for rendering the independent driving means operative or inoperative when the printing and impression members are separated or-broughttogether.

Any suitable form'of inking and damping lng devices may form no part ofmy present invention are not shown or described. of the machine described will be readily understood without further description.

they

My invention is not'limited'to the'precise construction shown, nor to the particular construction by which it may be carried into effect, as many changes may be made therein without departing from the principles of my invention. For instance my invention in its broader aspects is not limited to a printing member comprising a plurality of circumferentially continuous printing forms,

nor to forr ns having planogra phic or lithographic printing surfaces, nor to an impression member having a. single circumferentially continuous impressionsurface, as other forms of prlnting and lmpressionmembers may be used if desired. It is immaterial, moreover, -which member of the printing couple is positively driven'or .whichmemberls moved'int'oor' out of cooperative repaper feeding and delivere used. As these devices The operation with an impression member, of a printing member comprising a plurality of printing forms, oneof said members being frictionally'driven from-the other, means for simultaneously separating or bringing together two or more of the printing forms and the impression member, and connections whereby the'printing forms are at all times caused -to operate inunison, substantially as described.

2.1m a printing press the comblnation with an impression member, of a printing member com rising a plurality of printing forms, on -of said members being frictionally driven from the other, means for simultaneously separating or bringing together two or more of the printing formsand the impression member, and means for driving said printing and impression members inde endently of each other when separated,

s11 stantially as described.

3. In a printing press the combination with an impression member consisting of a drum of a rintin -member com IlSIII a pIu-ra'htyof prmtln cyllnders, one of sa d members bein frictlonally driven from the other, means or simultaneously moving the printing cylinders into or out of cooperatlve relation with the impression drum, and

means for driving said rint-ing and impression members 'indepen ently of each other when out of cooperative relation, substantially as described. 7

4. in a printing press t with ani-mpression member'- e *sistingof drum "having a circumferentially continu Oils impression surface, of {a printing member eomprisin-g'a plurality? of circumferentially'c'ontinuous printing cylinders, one of said-members being fricti'onally driven from the other, -means for simultaneously movingtheprintingcylinders into or out of cooperative relation with the, inipression surface, and means for drivin' saldprmtlng and impression members "independently of each other when out of cooperative relation,

substantiallyas described.

In 'a printing press the combination with-an impression member consisting of a drum, ofa-plurality of printing forms arranged concentrically'therewith and driven frictionally thereby, means for simultaneously moving the printing forms into ,or out of cooperative relation with the v .impressi'en combination 1 drum, and means for causing the printing forms to operate in unison whether in or out of cooperative relation with the impression drum, substantially as described.

6. In a printing press the combination with an impression member consisting of a drum, of a plurality of printing forms having cir'cumferentially continuous printing surfaces, said forms being arranged concentrically with the drum and driven frictionally'thereby, means for simultaneously moving the printing forms into or out of cooperative relation with the impression drum, and means for causing the printing forms to operate in unison whether in or out of cooperative relation with the impression drum, substantially as described.

7. In a printing press the combination with an impression member, of a plurality of cylindrical printing forms drivenfrictionally thereby, positive connections for causing the printing forms to operate in unison, and means for simultaneously separating or bringing together two or more of the printing forms and the impression member without disengaging the forms from said positive connections, substantially as described.

8. In a. printing press the combination with an impression member, of a printing member comprising a plurality of form supports and a plurality of printing forms ,removably carried thereby, one of said members being frictionally driven from the other, and positive connections for causing said form supports to operate in unison, the constructions being such that the supports may be adjusted for printing .forms of different curvatures without being disconnected, substantially as described.

9. In a printing press the combination with an impression member, of a printing member comprising a plurality of supports and a plurality of printing forms removably carried thereby, one of said members'being frictionally driven from the other, means for so adjusting said form supports with relation to the impression member that printing forms of different curvatures may be used, and positive connections for causing said supports to operate in unison, the construction being such that said supports may be adjusted, as described, without being disconnected, substantially as set forth.

'10. In a printing press the combination with an impression member consisting of a drum, of a printing member comprising a plurality of cylindrical form supports, and

a plurality of circumferentially continuous printing forms removably carried thereby,

one of said members being frictionally driven from the other, means for so adjustingsaid form supports with relation to the g ,with an impression member, of a printing member comprising a plurality of printing 0 im ression member that printing forms of di. erent curvatures maybe used, and positive connections for causing said supports to operate in unison, the construction being such that said supports may be adjusted, as described, without being disconnected, substantially as set forth.

11. In a printing press the combination with an impression member, of a printing member comprising a plurality ofsupports and a plurality of printing forms removably carried thereby, one of said members being frictionally driven from the other, means for simultaneously separating or bringing together two or more of the printing surfaces and the impression member, means for so adjusting said form supports with relation to the impression member that printing forms of different curvatures may be used, and positive connections for causing said supports to operate in unison, the construction being such that said supports may be 35 adjusted, as described, without being disconnected, substantially as set forth.

12. In a printing press the combination with an impression member, of a printing -member comprising a plurality'of printing forms, one of said members being frictionally driven from the other, means for separating said members or bringing them together, connections whereby the printing forms are caused to operate in unison, and

means whereby the printing forms are driven through said connections when separated from the impression member, substantially as described.

13. In a printing press the combination with an impression member having a circumferentially continuous impression surface, of a printing member comprising a plurality of printing forms having circumferentially continuous printin surfaces, one of saidmembers being frictionally driven from the other, means for separating said members or bringing them together, connections whereby the printing forms are caused to operate in unison, and means whereby the printing forms are driven through said connections when separated from the impression member, substantially as described.

14. In a printing'press the combination gether,- mechanism for driving the friction- 1 20 ally driven surface independently of the other surface when separated therefrom, and means for automatically throwing said independent driving mechanism into or out of operation whensaid surfaces are separated or brought together, substantially as described. f

15. In a printing press the combination forms, one of said members, being frictionally driven from the other, means for separating said members or bringing them together, mechanism for driving said frictionally driven member independentl of the other member when separated there rom, and automatic means for throwing said independent driving mechanism into or out of operation when said members are separated or brought together, substantially as described.

16. In a printing press the combination with an impression member, of a plurality of printing forms frictionally driven thereby, means for separatingthe printing forms and the impression member or bringin them together, mechanism for driving said forms independently of the impression member when separated therefrom, and automatic means for throwing said independent driving mechanism into or out of operation when the printing forms and impression member are separated or brought together, substantially as described.

17. In a printing press the combination with an impression member consisting of a drum, ofa plurality of printing forms arranged concentrically with said drum and frictionally driven thereby, means for separating the printing-forms and the impression member or bringing them together, mechanism for driving said forms independently of the impression member when separated therefrom, and automatic means for throwing said independent driving mechanism into or out of operation when the printing forms, and impression .member are separated or brought together, substantially as described.

18. In a pla nographic press the combinacircumferentially continuous. impression surqi'ng surfaces,

face, of a rinting member mprising a plurality 'o planogralphic p ting forms haying circumferentia ly continuous prlntone of said members being frictionally driven from the other, means for simultaneously separatin or bringin gether twofor more of t e printing orms and the impression member, and means for driving said printing and impression members independently of each other when separated, substantially as described.

20. In a planographic press the combination with an impression member, having a circumferentially continuous impression surface, of a printing member comprising a plurality of form supports and a plurality of circumferentially continuous planographic printing forms removably carried thereby, one of said members being frictionally driven from the other, and positive connections for causing said form supports to operate in unison, the construction bein such that the supports may be adjusted for printing forms of different curvatures without being disconnected, substantially as described.

21. In a planographic printing press, the combination with a circumferentially continuous impression surface, of a circumferentially continuous planographic printing surface, one of said surfaces being frictionally driven from the other, means for separating said surfaces or bringing them together, mechanism for drivin the frictionally driven surface indepen ently of the other surface when separated therefrom, and means for automatically throwing said independent driving mechanism into or out of operation when said surfaces are separated or brought together, substantially as described. v

22. In a planographic printing press the combination with an impression drum having a circumferentially continuous impression surface, of a printing member comprising a plurality of planographic rinting forms, one of said members being ictionally driven from the other, means for separating or bringing together two or more of the printing forms and the impression member, and connections whereby the printing forms are at-all ti'mes caused to operate in unison, substantially as described,

23. In aplanographic printing press the combination with an impression drum having a circumferentially continuous impression surface, of a printing member comprising a plurality of .planographic printing forms, one of. said members being frictionalIy driven from the other, meansfor separating or bringing together two or more of the printingforms and the impression member, and means'for driving, said printing and impression members independently of each other when separated, substantially as described. v

24. In a planographic printing press the combination with an I impression member consisting of a drum having a circumferentially continuous impression surface, of a printing member comprising a plurality of" planograplaic printing cylinders, one of said members frictionally driven from the other, means for moving the printing cylin= ders into or out of cooperative relation with the impression drum, and means for driving said printing and impression members independently of each other, when out of cooperative relation, substantially as described.

25. In a planographic printing press the combination with an impression member consisting of a drum having a circumferentially continuous impression surface, of a printing member comprising a plurality of circumferentially continuous planographio printing cylinders, one of said members being frictionally driven from the other, means for moving the printingcylinders into or out of cooperative relation with the impression surface, and means for driving said printing and impression members independently of each other when out of cooperative relation, substantially as described.

26. In a planographic printing press, the combination with a circumferentially continuous impression surface, of a planographic printing surface, one of said surfaces being frictionally driven from the other, means for separating said surfaces or bringing them together, mechanism for driving the frictionally driven surface independently of the other surface When separated therefrom, and means whereby said independent driving mechanism is thrown into or out of operation when said surfaces are separated or brought together.

27. In a planographic printing press, the combination with a circumferentially continuous impression surface, of a plano graphic printing surface frictionally driven from said impression surface, means for separating said surfaces or bringing them together, mechanism for driving the printing surface independently of the impression surface when separated therefrom, and means whereby said independent drivlng mechanism is thrown into and out' of operation when said surfaces are separated or brought together. 4

28. In a printing press, the combination with an' impression member, of a printing member comprising a plurality of printing cylinders, one of said members being fric-' tionally driven from the other, means common to two or more of the" printing cylinders for moving said cylinders intoor out of cooperative relation with the impression member, and means for driving said rinting and impression members indepen ently of each other when out of cooperative rela: tion. 29; In a printing press,'the combination with an impression member, consisting of a drum having a circumferentially continuous impression surface, of a printing member comprising a plurality of printin cylinders, one of said members being frictionally driven from the other, means common to two or more of the printing cylinders for moving said cylinders into or out of cooperative relation with the impression surface, and means ,for driving said printing and impression members independently of each other when out of cooperative relation.

30. In a printing press, the combination with an impression member, ofa printing member comprising a plurality of printing forms adapted to operate in continuous impression contact with said impression member, one of said members being frictionally driven from the other, means for separating or bringing together two or more of the printing forms and the impression member, and connections whereby the printing forms are at all times caused to operate in unison, I substantially as described.

31. In a printing press, the combination with an impression member, of a printing member comprising a plurality of printing forms adapted to operate in continuous impression contact with said impression mem ber, one of said members being frictionally driven from the other, means for separating or bringing. together two or more of the printing forms and theimpression member, and means for driving said printing and impression members independently of each other when separated, substantially as described.

32. In a printing press, the combination with an impression member consisting of a drum, of a printing member comprising a plurality of printing cylinders adapted to operate in continuous impression contact a with said impression member, one of said members being frictionally driven from the other, means for moving the printing cylinde'rs' into or out of cooperative relation with the impression drum, and means for driving said printing and impression members independently of each other, when out of cooperative relation, substantially as described.

33. A printing press including in combination, an impression member, a printing member comprising a plurality of printing forms adapted to operate in continuous impression contact with said impression member, one of said members being frictionally driven from the other, means common to two or more of the printing forms for separating said two or more forms from the impression member, means for driving the frictionally driven member when not driven from the other member, and connections whereby said two or more printing forms are at all-times caused. to operate in unison, substantially as described.

34. A printing press including in combination, an impression cylinder, a printing cylinder, means for separating and bringing together said cylinders, and means whereby said cylinders are driven independently from the other when brought together, substantiall as described.

A printing press including in combination, an impression cylinder, a printing cylinder, means for separating and bringing together said cylinders, and means whereby said cylinders are driven independently when separated, the driving connections of one cylinder being rendered inoperative when the cylinders are brought together.

36. A printing press including in combination, an impression cylinder, aprinting cylinder, means for separating and bringing together said cylinders, means for driving said cylinders when separated, and means whereby one of said cylinders is frictionally driven from the other when they are brought together.

3". A printing press including in combination, av printing couple, means for separating and bringing together the members of the couple, means whereby both said members are driven when separated, and means whereby one member is driven from the other when they are brought together.

38. A printing press including in combination, a printing couple, means for separating and bringing together the members of the couple, and a plurality of driving means for one member of the couple, one driving means being effective when the members are separated and another when the members are brought together.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. PANCOAST.

Witnesses:

'GEo. H. BARNES J. H. FREEMAN. 

